A Long Winter: On the red carpet with Martin Freeman, Caitríona Balfe and more at the London Film Festival 2026

Mae Trumata 19 October 2026

A Long Winter: On the red carpet with Martin Freeman, Caitríona Balfe and more at the London Film Festival 2026

Andrew Haigh is back with another novel-to-screen adaptation, this time tackling Colm Tóibín’s short story. This piece has been long in the works for the director behind 45 Years and All of Us Strangers. He acquired the rights to A Long Winter before he even made his first feature-length film. The story follows a family falling apart at the seams, with the main protagonist, Mike, navigating his brother leaving home and his mother’s sudden disappearance. Initially unaware of the tension between his parents, Mike’s world is turned upside down upon finding out the skeletons hiding in their family’s closet: from his mother’s drinking problem to her affair with a neighbour. As winter settles and she is nowhere to be found, Mike must work through grief and acceptance of not just her plausible death but the fractured pieces of his family.

The Upcoming caught up with some of the actors and producers of the movie to discuss all things A Long Winter, with Martin Freeman first arriving at the London Film Festival red carpet premiere. He spoke of what drew him to the project, his admiration for the writing and his long desire to work with Haigh. He talked about the period the picture is set in, and how he found comfort in its familiarity despite the long gap between now and then. Freeman described the feature as a beautiful story of longing.

Producer Tristan Goligher also stopped by and explained the themes that resonated with him in A Long Winter, particularly the part about human resilience. He talked about the 15-year-long process of working with Haigh on the piece; he mentioned trying to find the right time to get the project done, especially with the scale the script and the story needed. Goligher also commented on personal lessons he learned from the long journey of working on the film, as well as takeaways for any future projects he would like to work on next.

Caitríona Balfe also came by in a sparkling silver number and introduced the film and her role as Louise, the mother, whose sudden disappearance catalyses the events of the movie. Like Goligher, she highlighted the subject of resilience and endurance in the picture. Balfe also explained her familiarity with Tóibín’s other work, emphasising that she read the script before diving into the original text, which, in the grand scheme of things, helped her approach her character better. She also touched on the women’s role of the time and its implications for Louise: the circumstances that eventually led her to run away and go missing.

Finally, lead star Fred Hechinger arrived and stopped by to discuss the topic of family and the role Mike plays – how his brother’s leave affected him and his desperate search for his mother. He talked about how, despite the tragedy that unfolds in the picture, Mike finds a greater sense of self in the end. He also spoke of being a fan of Tóibín’s work and reading his pieces on set for his own personal enjoyment.